Gusukudake

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Gusukudake
The hills at Sobe in Naha City, it is also referred to as Jogaku. The area is a part of the hills that stretch northwestward from the Sobe plateau. The altitude is about 32 meters above sea level.
The area was known for its scenic beauty, with the abundant growth of pine and other trees. In the history book The Annals of Ryukyu, the writer Zhou Huang, a deputy imperial envoy who came to the Ryukyus from China in 1756, depicted Gusukudake as one of the Eight Views of Ryukyu.
Around the middle, numerous tombs were constructed as if to encircle the hills, but in the Taisho period (1912-1926), construction of various facilities began, including the Okinawa Prefectural Daini Junior High School (present Naha High School), the Okinawa Prefectural Government Building, and Okinawa's penal institution. Together with this, the population of the area grew, and the lush greenery of Gusukudake transformed to residences and farm fields by the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989).
During the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, the area was used by soldiers referred to as the Yama unit as their underground position to guard Naha, and a bloody battle ensured in the area in May of that year.
After the war, the peaks of the hills at Gusukudake were razed and on the approximately 6,612 m2 of land, an amusement park called Shinsekai was constructed by the Okinawa Bunka Kogyo Co, Ltd, and opened its doors to the public in September of 1951. It was one of the major attractions in Naha, and very popular with the people. Later, sales began to decline and the lot was sold to Naha City in 1961, and the amusement park closed its doors.
Naha City undertook the Jogaku Park project starting in 1971, and into the Heisei period (1989- ), the relocation of family tombs moved forward and park paths were laid at the foot of the hills.
Within the park are Gusukudake Omiya, a shrine that was reconstructed in 1962, and the Nichu Kenji-no To, the memorial erected for the students of Daini Junior High School, which was relocated from Onoyama Park (from the back woods of the Gokoku Jinja Shrine.